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The BPS Foundation became a reality this month 35 years ago, and the Foundation continues its mission to advance quality education in Bartleville Public Schools.

Blair Ellis (pictured), the current Executive Director for the BPS Foundation, said they were one of the first education foundations in the State of Oklahoma. She said she is humbled and honored to get to work with her board, lead the organization, and continue what the founding members started all those years ago.

The BPS Foundation has poured over the scraps the the founders started and kept over the years. Ellis said they are highlighting all the grants the founders issued, all the news that was written about them, and all the vision that they had. She said they have stayed true to the mission that was in place at the beginning.

The mission as mentioned is to advance quality education in Bartlesville Public Schools. Ellis said the Foundation fulfills the goal primarily through a focus on enrichment opportunities in Bartlesville for students and teachers that they would not otherwise have under their normal academic curriculum. She said this means they want to go above and beyond what the District is able to provide through its budget.

The BPS Foundation was started by a group of community volunteers; they were leaders in the community. Ellis said they believed that the quality of life in our community was directly related to our public school system. She said they realized that they really need to focus on enhancing education, making Bartlesville a leader in the state and in the region.

Below is a list of Founding Board Members:

Nancy Grigsby - President; Gary Moore - Secretary; William Carter - Associate Treasurer; Carolyn Gorman - Vice President; Paul Parker - Treasurer; Walter Allison; Don Donaldson; Betty Kane; Robert Kane; R.E. Lyons; Kay Schneider; Verna Trepka; Sigrid Williams; Gary Winters.

Here were the Ex Officio Members:

Gary Toothaker - Superintendent; Ann Basinger; Jim Miller; Robert Touchstone; Barbara McCoy

Ellis said the founders started off with a fundraising candlelight breakfast at the Bartlesville Community Center in November 1985. She said they raised $50,000 at the first breakfast.

The fundraiser focused on two programs that are alive and well today: Grants to Teachers and the BPS Foundation Endowment. Ellis said the founders put $25,000 in the Grants to Teachers program and $25,000 in the endowment after their first fundraiser. She said the endowment give the Foundation a sustainability factor that many organizations don't have, making the founders innovative in their efforts.

Since 1985, the BPS Foundation has funded over $3 million in creative projects to support state-of-the-art instruction and facilities. Ellis said the Foundation gives out about $50,000 in grants each year now. She said the other funding goes towards district initiative.

In 2001, the Foundation contributed approximately $1-million to construct the west wing of the Bartlesville High School Fine Arts Center. Ellis added that they focused on elementary STEM for the past four years and raised $300,000 in that effort. She said they are now focused on supporting the new AG program at Bartlesville Public Schools.

While, the BPS Foundation has focused on these district initiatives, Ellis said they are primarily focused on teacher grants. She said they want to empower their teachers to come up with ideas that they know will engage their students and enhance educational opportunities.

2020 has been a difficult, yet unique, year when one looks at the coronavirus pandemic's impact on education. Ellis said everyone is playing it by ear. She said they are here to help the district with whatever they may need. This is something the BPS Foundation hopes the district's administration and teachers know.

The BPS Foundation's grant cycles are open now. This includes classroom grants, expert visits, and professional growth. Ellis said she believes they are already planning a virtual visit from an expert for the high school choir classes. She said they will have to see what their teachers apply for, but she said they know the district's teachers are great at coming up with great ideas and thinking outside the box.

Ellis said they want to continue to remind the district's teachers that the community supports them. She said now more than ever, our teachers need support during these difficult times.

As the BPS Foundation reflects on the past 35 years and share that history on their Facebook page, Ellis said they hope that the history inspires Bartlesville's teachers as they enter the grant cycle in October. She said they want to highlight what the Foundation has funded in the past to spur ideas for the future.

Next Thursday, the BPS Foundation will post a resurrected VHS tape that highlights the Foundation's first ever Grant Impact video on their Facebook page. The video will last 14 minutes.